It’s Monday. Welcome back for another edition of Observe and Fight, The Boxing Observer’s compilation of observations and random thoughts from the week that was in boxing. Get caught up on some of the most recent events you may have missed out on, including the demise of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. negative, Pacquiao vs. Marquez IV, Amir Khan’s new trainer, and much more. Without further ado, check out the latest observations from The Boxing Observer, David Kassel.
Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is officially dead. Let me make one thing clear, I am NOT saying this fight will never happen. I am saying that the fight is meaningless at this point. If or when these two fighters do get in the ring, the fight will not make anywhere close to the money it once could have. Mayweather cannot seem to stay out of trouble outside the ring, and Pacquiao is no longer the 2nd best fighter in the world. Andre Ward has surpassed him in that category. People like to see the good guy against the villain, but people also like to see the villain, in this case Mayweather, revamp his life and turn into a good guy. At the end of the day, 24/7 Mayweather-Pacquiao will be dull, the fight will be one-sided (Mayweather will dominate), and Pacquiao will likely retire afterwards. There is still a lot of money to be made, but at this point, what’s the point? The appeal was supposed to be the two best fighters in the world. Now, fans aren’t going to get that. Pacquiao’s statement this week that he will accept a 55/45 split is nothing more than a desperate attempt to salvage what has been the biggest blunder in boxing history. Once again, the fans lose. What do you think? Is there any interest in seeing Mayweather vs. Pacquiao at this point? Email me and tell me your thoughts.
Juan Manuel Marquez will beat Manny Pacquiao this time around. It’s going to happen. Pacquiao is nearing the end of his career, and Marquez wants nothing more than beating his arch nemesis. Quite simply, Marquez is 100% dedicated to boxing right now, and Manny Pacquiao is not. It’s not to say Marquez will make more money than Pacquiao, but Pacquiao seems to be on his way out of Top Rank, while Marquez seems happy to continue working with Zanfer Promotions and Top Rank for his fights. The fight will be entertaining either way, but it is the last big-name opponent that Manny Pacquiao will ever have in the ring (outside of Mayweather) because there is nobody else to fight anymore. As I mentioned before, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is dead.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is more like his father than we ever thought. Wouldn’t you think that having to send your father to rehab for drug and alcohol abuse would be enough to keep you from doing drugs yourself? In the case of Chavez Jr., I guess not. Chavez Jr.’s positive drug test for marijuana makes one thing very clear. He will never be at the top of the pound-for-pound list because his heart will never be dedicated to boxing. The rematch with Sergio Martinez is likely inevitable, unless of course Chavez Jr. loses along the way, but I would not pay one cent for that rematch because it will be a complete mismatch. Chavez Jr. is like his daddy in so many ways. Unfortunately, it seems like he is more like his daddy out of the ring than in the ring.
I guess Floyd Mayweather didn’t learn enough during his jail stint. Mayweather’s latest alleged run-in with one of the mothers of his children is quite a shame because it does nothing to improve his image. It also does nothing for anyone to believe Mayweather was completely “innocent” in the incident that initially sent him to jail. According to reports, there was not a physical confrontation, but the police were called and the matter was more than just the average argument. I hate to break it to Mayweather, but maybe 50 Cent going in a direction other than Mayweather Promotions has just as much to do with Floyd’s outside the ring troubles as it has to do with the money that could be made working with Top Rank or any other promotional company. I don’t know the whole story, and don’t claim to, but if I were an up-and-coming prospect, I don’t know if I would want to work for a company whose head honcho couldn’t stay out of legal trouble.
Amir Khan’s hiring of Virgil Hunter will be the best thing for Khan’s career if Khan keeps his ego in check. In last week’s Observe and Fight, when I mentioned that Khan should choose someone like Hunter as his new trainer, I honestly had no idea Hunter would be the chosen one for Team Khan. At first glance, it doesn’t seem like Khan’s personality will mesh with Hunter’s, but there could be something that doesn’t meet the naked eye. Hunter is a no-nonsense trainer who always speaks his mind, and Khan needs someone to tell him he isn’t “great” all the time. If, and it’s a big if, Khan takes this opportunity to learn from Hunter and doesn’t get defensive when receiving criticism, we could see the Amir Khan that everyone has been waiting for. Let’s hope for Khan’s sake he uses this opportunity to mature.
R.I.P. former heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders. Over the weekend, it was reported that Sanders was shot and killed as an innocent bystander during a robbery in his native South Africa. Sanders will forever be known as the man who knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in two rounds in 2003. It’s an unfortunate story, and is just another example of an innocent person being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Ricky Burns is no Adrien Broner. The Scottish-born lightweight champion may be living the dream right now in the weak 135-lb division, but his win over Kevin Mitchell this past Saturday was nothing more than an opportunity to show the world he is another paper champion. Lightweight is unusually weak, and I fully expect Adrien Broner to move through this division faster than a speeding bullet. If Burns stands in his way, he will be shoved aside quickly and decisively by Broner.
Gabriel Rosado is very entertaining, but I’m still not convinced he’s a top 154-lb fighter. Rosado seems like one of the hardest working guys in the sport of boxing, is a very engaging personality, and has earned his right at a world title shot, but I just don’t think he can stand up with the best at the jr. middleweight division. I sure hope Rosado proves me wrong because he is a fresh face that the sport of boxing would embrace, but I just don’t think his style will serve him well against Canelo Alvarez, Austin Trout, Miguel Cotto, Erislandy Lara, Cornelius Bundrage, or any of the other top 154-lb fighters.
Where is Antonio Tarver?
Roy Jones Jr. vs. Kimbo Slice is a serious possibility? Promoter Gary Shaw says a deal is close, and this fight will not be an exhibition. To hardcore fight fans, this fight is a joke, but it is an EVENT I would be willing to watch. If this fight comes to fruition, Shaw should try and market the fight to a major, American television network. FOX and CBS have shown a willingness to try and get into the fight game (both with MMA), and CBS tried to help push Slice’s career in the now defunct Elite XC. Throw in a name like Roy Jones Jr. and casual fans will watch. If promoted properly, Shaw could make quite a bit of money with an endeavor like this. I actually kind of like the idea myself. That’s all I’ve got for this week. Email any questions or comments to [email protected] and I will answer them throughout the week. Your email may be featured in the next “Observe and Fight.” Follow me on Twitter @BoxingObserver, and be sure to “Like” The Boxing Observer on Facebook.
